Posted by med_empowered on December 5, 2006, at 0:52:38
In reply to Re: Are benzos the only drugs that do anything? » FredPotter, posted by Quintal on December 4, 2006, at 23:20:17
Antidepressants are lame. They sometimes don't even do better than placebo in controlled trials. They cause side effects. Overall...they suck.
If a benzo does the trick for you, and you're not: a) snorting it b) injecting it c) overusing it d) selling it or e) using it to escape issues that need to be dealt with, then I say go for it. This whole "benzos=addiction" thing is way overblown, largely by shrinks eager to sell people on new, expen$ive "miracle cures" that, on closer inspection, really aren't all that impressive at all.
People tend to think of benzos are "mommy's little helpers," and they were but..they're very safe, very useful drugs. They also happen to be incredibly cheap, which I think is one reason drug companies are whispering "addiction" and "dependence" into doc's ears; if a $20/month bottle of (xanax, valium, ativan, whatever) works *better* than a 100-500+ bottle of (lamictal, abilify, effexor, whatever) and the patient even *likes* the cheaper one more, where is the profit for big pharma? No where. Of course, you can't really do without benzos in psychiatry--in fact, a lot of times you need them to counter the problems created by the new expen$ive drugs, like anti-depressant induced agitation or neuroleptic-induced akathisia. That said...only the newer drugs are allowed to be called "treatment". These newer, unpleasant, expen$ive, largely ineffective "treatments" are now the real helpers, the restorers of sanity and stability; the benzos, on the other hand, are "quick fixes," "band-aid" solutions, and best used "briefly", if at all. Its ridiculous.Note also how the same profession that has come to demonize or at least disregard the benzos continues to lavish praise on the amphetamines, which are even older, more addictive, and more problematic. Amphetamines are a valid "treatment" for ADHD. ADHD, of course, became quite popular once Adderall and various forms of Ritalin hit the scene; the money pumped into drug development, advertising, and "consumer education" is astounding.
So now, as consumers, this is the situation one finds: if you're an adult who can't leave your house b/c of severe panic attacks, your doc may well withhold potentially helpful benzos...these are "addictive" and best avoided, even if "better" solutions fail. But..if little Timmy can't still still and irritates his teachers and/or parents, he can be quickly "treated" with schedule II meds, the same meds that will land someone found possessing them w/o an RX several years in prison.
poster:med_empowered
thread:710470
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061129/msgs/710482.html